Preparation has started!

Here's a picture of where I currently am with getting the van back to it's basics in order for me to make a start on converting it:

As you can see, I have managed to remove the bulkhead, the ply lining, the floor and the bench seat.

The bulkhead 

This was a complete pain in the arse, rivets everywhere and they weren't your everyday normal rivet either. These were super rivets! a couple of drill bits later and the bulkhead was no more. I'm going to look at selling this at some stage.

The floor

The ply floor definitely needed replacing. It had begun to come away from the van floor. This had in turn sunk the screws deep into the ply so you couldn't get to them. After several attempts I got annoyed and grabbed a claw hammer! Turned out it was also riveted in places but I managed to basically rip it up without breaking any of the ply. This may prove useful as a template for the new stuff later.

The ply lining

This was easy, it was just screwed into the van walls. However, there are a few of what look like carabina fastener hooks that were screwed to the sides of the van. I've kept these, as I saw a great idea for a "make your own awning" using these style hooks, some tarp an some poles.. Watch this space!

The bench seat

I decided early on that I wanted to remove the bench seat and fit a single seat in it's place. This was so you could walk through from the cab. I also want the passenger seat to be ale to swivel. After a bit of struggling with an adjustable spanner (the only tool I had to hand!!!), I managed to remove the seat part. I then fetched my ratchet set the next night and was able to get the box section off. Underneath the seat, is a plethora of electrical activity. This will be my next job, deciding what goes and what stays!